Wonder Gost
by MWolfL
Summary: Danny has been kidnapped from his home and is raised by mortals, but his supernatural powers cause problems. Will he ever find acceptance, and will he ever return home? DannyXSam
1. The Gospel Truth

A.N. When I first started writing this story I decided to see if other people have already wrote Danny Phantom parodies of Hercules, and from what I remember there were at least one or two. However I did not read them, so if there are any similarities between my story and the other stories then they are either coincidences or were going to be used either way (Danny playing Hercules for example).

The scene opened up on a Greek museum. A deep dull voice began the tale.

"Long ago, in the far away land of ancient Greece there was a golden age of powerful god-like ghosts and extraordinary heroes. And the greatest and strongest of all these heroes was the mighty Daniel."

The scene now zoomed in on a vase that had the scene of a young boy fighting a ghostly lion. Since he was in silhouette you couldn't see much detail, although you could see that there was a D with a jagged back on his chest. Above the scene were drawings of the five Muses, in order: Dani, Desire, Dora, Ember, and Penelope.

"But what is the measure of a true hero?" The narrator continued. "Ah, that is what our story is-"

"Will you listen to him?" Dani protested. "He's makin' the story sound like some Greek tragedy." She dramatically held a tragedy mask in front of her face and slumped.

"Lighten up dude." Ember said.

"We'll take it from here darling." Dora said.

"You go girls." The narrator said.

The Muses started moving to a beat.

"We are the Muses." Dora introduced. "Ghost-goddesses of the arts, and proclaimers of heroes."

"Heroes like Daniel." Ember added.

"You mean Danny." Dani smiled. "And he's my favorite of the heroes! Many can he vaporize those ghosts I tell ya-"

"Our story." Dora interrupted, glaring at Dani. "Actually begins long before Daniel. Many eons ago."

DORA:  
Back when the world was new  
The planet Earth was down on its luck  
And everywhere gigantic brutes called Poltergeists ran amok

Dora revealed moving drawings of ghost versions of natural disasters: volcanoes, earthquakes, blizzards, and tornadoes. The destruction was so much that it shattered the ceramic they were on, causing Dani to carefully make her way through the pieces.

DANI:  
It was a nasty place  
There was a mess wherever you stepped

DORA:  
Where chaos reigned and earthquakes and volcanoes never slept

"Whoo, say it girlfriend!" Dani joined her fellow Muses.

ALL:  
And then along came Jack Fenton

EMBER:  
He hurled his ghost-bolts

ALL:  
He zapped

PENELOPE:  
Locked those suckers in a vault

ALL:  
They're trapped

ALL:  
And on his own stopped  
Chaos in its tracks  
And that's the gospel truth  
The guy was too type A to just relax

EMBER:  
And that's the world's first dish

PENELOPE:  
Jack tamed the globe

ALL:  
While still in his youth

Though, honey, it may seem imposs'ble  
That's the gospel truth

On Mt. Spiritus life was neat and  
Smooth as sweet vermouth

Although, honey, it may seem imposs'ble  
That's the gospel truth

They then vocalized as the scene zoomed into a painting of Mt. Spiritus until the painting became the real thing. The scene then moved up the mountain until it was at the very top, where the ghost-gods were having a party.


	2. Daniel and Evil

It was the celebration of Daniel's birth and his mother Maddie was holding him in her arms. Daniel was really excited at the time, having taken her tiara.

"Daniel!" She chuckled, taking her tiara back. "Behave yourself."

A cradle formed itself out of the clouds so that she could set him down.

"Aw, look at him." Jack smiled proudly. "Look how cute he is."

He playfully wagged a finger at Daniel, who took it and used it to lift his father up.

"Whoa, he's strong!" Jack laughed. "Just like his dad."

A dark-skinned ghost wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses then zipped amongst the ghost-gods.

"Whoa, excuse me!" He said. "Hot stuff coming through! Excuse me. One side Fright Knight."

Fright Knight swung his sword irritatedly at the fast ghost but missed. A ghost-goddess, a little girl, frowned. She was Jazz, Jack and Maddie's daughter and Daniel's big sister.

"Watch where you're going Tucker!" She said.

The fast ghost, Tucker, was the messenger for the ghost-gods. His delivery was just a bouquet for Maddie.

"Why Tucker, they're lovely." Maddie smiled, sniffing the bouquet.

"Yeah I had Undergrowth do the arrangement, crazy huh?" Tucker smiled before flying over to Jack. "Fabulous party, you know I haven't seen this much love in a room since Amorpho decided on an attractive appearance for his main form."

Sure enough Amorpho, in the form of a very attractive guy, was admiring himself in a mirror.

Meanwhile Daniel had discovered Jack's ghost-bolts and decided to play with one.

"Dear, keep those away from the baby." Maddie said sternly.

"Oh he won't hurt himself." Jack smiled. "Let the kid have a little fun."

Daniel sucked on the ghost-bolt, only to shock himself. Disgusted, he used a ghost ray to fire it at the crowd. The ghost-gods noticed and ducked, one using a weapon to fire it at a column. Fortunately the column was made out of clouds and so repaired itself.

"Oh, on behalf of my son I want to thank you all for your wonderful gifts." Jack said to the crowd as he gestured to a bunch of cool looking items.

"What about our gift dear?" Maddie asked.

"Hm let's see..." Jack studied the ghostly energy that made the clouds and surrounded the place. "A bit of ectoplasm, a touch of ghost vapor, and a dash of dog essence."

Jack made a puppy shape out of these items, which then poofed into an actual puppy.

"His name is Cujo." Jack smiled. "And he's all yours son."

Cujo sniffed Daniel but lost his balance off Jack's hands...only to discover that he can fly. Daniel bonked heads with Cujo, liking him, and Cujo apparently liked that because he barked happily and licked Daniel. The two then cuddled, causing the crowd to sigh from the adorableness.

Jack then wanted to hold his son.

"Mind his head." Maddie smiled.

"He's so tiny." Jack smiled.

Daniel, growing tired, yawned and started to fall asleep.

"My boy." Jack put him back in his crib. "My little Daniel."

"How sentimental." A voice said.

Everyone turned and saw the guardian of the Underworld Vlad Plasmius. The Underworld was where the souls of dead mortals were kept. The difference between ghost-gods and mortal souls was that ghost-gods had always been spirits and had powers of one form or another. Mortal souls had been alive and didn't have any powers at all.

"You know I haven't been this choked up since I got a hunk of pan de muertos stuck in my throat! Huh?" Vlad looked around expectantly, but no one was amused; this was mostly because no one liked him. "So is this an audience or a cemetery?" He muttered dryly.

He then decided to just mingle.

"Hey how you doing? Looking good nice dress-"

Jack pulled him to his side.

"So Vlad, you finally made it." Jack smiled. "How are things in the Underworld?"

"Well they're just fine." Vlad shrugged. "You know a little dark, a little gloomy, and, as always, full of dead people what're you gonna do?" He then noticed Daniel, who had woken up. "Ah there's the little shadow, little wraith. And here's a sucker for the little sucker. Here you go-"

Vlad made a spiky sucker out of ghostly energy and tried to give it to Daniel, but Daniel was more interested in grabbing his fingers tightly. Vlad quickly pulled away as Cujo laughed.

"Yeesh! Powerful little tyke." Vlad winced.

"Come on Vlad don't be such a stiff." Jack pulled him to his side again. "Join the celebration!"

"Hey love to, but unlike you ghosts lounging about up here I regrettably have a full-time gig that you, by the way, so charitably bestowed on me Jack." Vlad pulled away. "So can't, love to, but can't."

Vlad started to leave.

"You ought to slow down." Jack scolded. "You'll work yourself to death."

He then realized that he made a joke.

"Ha! 'Work yourself to death'! Ha!" He cracked up.

The other ghost-gods laughed too.

"Good one dad!" Jazz laughed.

"I kill myself!" Jack fell back onto a chair that appeared out of the ghostly clouds.

"If only." Vlad muttered to himself as he left. "If only."

The scene switched back to the Muses.

"If there's one ghost-god you don't want to get steamed up, it's Vlad." Dora said.

The scene then switched to the Underworld, where Vlad was being ferried back to his throne room, so to speak.

"'Cause he had an evil plan." Ember added.

DORA:  
He ran the Underworld  
But thought the dead were dull and uncouth

DANI:  
He was as mean as he was ruthless  
And that's the gospel truth

Some mortal souls begged to be set free, but Vlad blasted them away with a ghost ray and then blew the smoke off his finger. Then he came across the ghostly three-headed dog Cerberus, who prevented the living from entering the main domain. Cerberus growled and snapped at Vlad, who just indifferently tossed a steak at him. The three heads fought over the steak, allowing Vlad to pass through unharmed.

He had a plan to shake things up  
And that's the gospel truth

Once Vlad landed he called for his minions.

"Skulker!"

"Coming your most lugubriousness." Skulker walked down the stairs but tripped and tumbled until he landed on the bottom. "I've really got to improve this stupid suit of mine, I keep tripping in it." He grumbled.

Skulker was really a small ghost, but wore this robotic armor to make himself larger and more menacing.

"Walker!" Vlad called.

"All right all right I'm coming!" Walker rushed down and tripped over Skulker. "I keep forgetting about that detail." He muttered.

Vlad glared at them.

"Walker!" Walker got up and saluted.

"Skulker!" Skulker got up and saluted.

"Reporting for duty." They both said.

"Fine fine fine," Vlad wasn't amused. "Just let me know the instant the Fates arrive-"

"Oh, they're here." Walker shrugged.

"WHAT? THE FATES ARE HERE AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?" Vlad lost his temper.

Walker and Skulker quickly dove behind a stalagmite.

"We are worms, worthless worms!" They quickly morphed into worms to hide better.

Now originally they didn't have morphing powers, but Vlad was good with technology and ghost magic. He used that to give them the ability to morph so that he could use them to spy on others.

"Memo to me, memo to me." Vlad massaged his forehead, calming down. "Maim you after my meeting."

Walker and Skulker looked at each other, both hoping that Vlad would forget to do so.

Meanwhile the Fates were ending another mortal's life. They were Clockwork, the Fate of the Future, Wulf, the Fate of the Past, and Kitty, the Fate of the Present. Jack had hired them to oversee mortal lives, and also - knowing a little technology and ghost magic himself - gave them the ability to control the length of each life.

"Okay boy, hold that mortal's thread of life good and tight." Clockwork said to Wulf.

Wulf did and Clockwork cut it. A scream was heard.

"Incoming!" Kitty called.

A mortal soul floated down towards the beginning of the river where the souls were kept.

"Hey guys," Vlad walked in. "I am so sorry that I'm-"

"Late." The three Fates finished.

"We knew you would be." Wulf shrugged.

"We know everything." Kitty added.

"Past." Wulf said.

"Present." Kitty said.

"And future." Clockwork said before turning to Walker. "Indoor plumbing, it's gonna be big." He said out of the corner of his mouth.

Walker didn't know what to make of that.

"Great great." Vlad muttered, not interested. "Anyway, see guys I was at this party and I lost track of-"

"We know." The Fates interrupted.

"Yeah I know you know." Vlad frowned, hating interruptions. "So here's the deal: Jack, Mr. High-and-Mighty, Mr. Hey-You-Get-Off-Of-My-Cloud, now he's got this-"

"Bouncing baby brat!" The Fates finished.

"We know!" Kitty lost her patience.

"I KNOW you know, I get it okay?" Vlad nearly lost his temper again but calmed down quickly. "I get the concept, let me finish will ya? So anyway, is this kid gonna mess up my hostile takeover bid or what? What do you think?"

Kitty considered telling it.

"Oh no we're not supposed to reveal the future." Wulf frowned.

Vlad thought for a moment.

"Oh wait, I'm sorry time out." He said to Kitty. "Can I ask you a question? Are you doing something new with your hair? You look fabulous. I mean you look like a Fate worse than death."

Kitty giggled. Wulf and Clockwork glared at Vlad.

"Please? My fate is in your lovely hands." Vlad finished to Kitty.

"Oh all right." Wulf muttered, knowing that when Kitty was flattered it was hard to argue with her.

Clockwork created a screen to show images of what could happen in the future.

"In eighteen years precisely." Kitty began. "The planets will align ever so nicely."

"Ay verse, oy." Vlad muttered.

"The time to act will be at hand." Wulf added. "Unleash the Poltergeists your monstrous band."

"Mm-hm, good good." Vlad nodded.

"Then the once-proud Jack will finally fall, and you, Vlad, will rule all."

"Yes Vlad rules!" Vlad pumped a fist.

"A word of caution to this tale." Clockwork finished.

"Excuse me?" Vlad's smile dropped.

"Should Daniel fight, then you will fail."

The Fates then poofed away.

"WHAAAT?" Vlad unleashed a wave of ghost fire but calmed down. "Okay fine fine, I'm cool, I'm fine."

Vlad took Skulker and Walker deep into his chambers.

"Skulker." He said. "Walker. Got a little riddle for you. How do you kill a ghost-god?"

"I do not know." Skulker frowned.

"You can't." Walker smiled. "They're immortal."

"Bingo, they're immortal." Vlad smiled back; he then brought out a vial filled with an evil looking liquid. "So all you gotta do is turn the little shadow...mortal."


	3. Abduction and Adoption

Later that night, Jack, Maddie, Daniel, and Cujo were fast asleep in different rooms. Two shadows loomed over Daniel and Cujo...

Next thing Jack and Maddie knew, they were being woken up by strange sounds.

"Huh?" Jack said, partially awake.

"What?" Maddie was only partially awake too. "What is it?"

Then they both woke up completely.

"The baby!" They cried.

They rushed for Daniel's bedroom, but it was too late. Cujo unstuck his head from a vase and yelped in shock. Daniel was gone.

"Daniel!" Maddie cried before sobbing.

"NOOOO!" Jack screamed, causing ghost-bolts to zap all over the place.

"Oh now we did it!" Walker complained. "Jack is gonna use us for target practice!"

"Just hang on to the kid!" Skulker ordered.

However they lost their grip when they crashed into some trees due to forgetting to go intangible. Daniel landed on the ground crying.

"Let's just kill the kid and get it over with okay?" Walker sighed exasperatedly.

"Here you go kid." Skulker put a rubber nipple over the potion. "A little Grecian formula."

He stuck the bottle in Daniel's mouth, who sucked up the potion automatically. He was turning into a human.

"It's working." Walker said with relief. "Can we do it now?"

"No he has to drink the whole potion." Skulker reminded him. "Every single last drop."

"Who's there?" A voice said.

Startled, Skulker and Walker zoomed out of sight, dropping the bottle. One little drop fell from a broken piece and disappeared into the ground.

A man and woman, Casper and his wife Alma, showed up and found Daniel.

"Alma, over here." Casper said.

"Oh you poor thing." Alma picked Daniel up and comforted him. "Oh don't cry."

"Is anybody there?" Casper looked around with his torch.

"Now?" Walker asked.

"Now." Skulker grinned evilly.

They used their morphing powers to turn into poisonous snakes.

"He must have been abandoned." Casper decided.

"Casper, for so many years we've prayed to the ghost-gods to bless us with a child." Alma smiled. "Perhaps they've answered our prayers."

"Perhaps they have." Casper smiled, looking at the medallion around Daniel's neck. "Daniel huh?"

Skulker and Walker then dove in to attack...only to be met with Daniel's strong grip. Daniel bopped their heads around, tied them up, and then used a ghost ray to blast them away. Daniel laughed as Casper and Alma looked at him with shock.

Skulker and Walker sailed through the air until they crashed into a tree. They then used their morphing powers to change back, also untying themselves in the process.

"Oh Vlad is gonna re-kill us when he finds out!" Walker kicked the tree.

"You mean 'if' he finds out." Skulker pointed out.

"Well of course he- If, if is good." Walker smiled, realizing that Skulker had a point.

The scene switched back to the Muses.

"It was tragic." Dora said. "Jack led all the gods on a frantic search."

"But by the time they found the baby, it was too late." Ember said.

DESIRE:  
Young Danny was mortal now  
But since he did not drink the last drop  
He still retained his godlike strength  
So thank his lucky stars

But Jack and Maddie wept  
Because their son could never come home  
They'd have to watch their precious baby grow up from afar

Though Vlad's horrid plan  
Was hatched before Danny cut his first tooth  
The boy grew stronger every day  
And that's the gospel truth

ALL:  
The gospel truth


	4. A Freak With a Heart of Gold

It was now many years later on Earth. Some sheep had to scramble out of the way as Daniel flew Casper and a cart to the shopping center. On the cart was the donkey who originally pulled the cart.

"Daniel, slow down!" Casper begged.

Daniel was having too much fun to listen.

"Look out!" Casper cried.

Too late, the hay on the cart knocked off some guys who were repairing the entrance. Fortunately they were able to grab onto it to keep from falling to the ground.

"Oops." Daniel said sheepishly. "Sorry guys!"

"Hey watch where you're goin'!" One of the repair guys called angrily.

"Sunday driver." Another muttered.

Daniel then quickly stopped before he could crash into anything else.

"Thanks son." Casper said with relief as he got off the cart. "When ol' Penelope twisted her ankle back there I thought we were done for."

"No problem pop." Daniel flew the hay off the cart.

"Uh don't unload just yet." Casper said. "First I have to finagle with Phideas."

"Okay." Daniel dropped the hay, sending Penelope soaring into the air.

"Oops, sorry Penelope." Daniel said sheepishly.

"Now Daniel, this time please just-" Casper said.

"I know I know." Daniel moved to the front of the cart so that he could catch Penelope. "Stay by the cart." He put Penelope on the cart's seat.

"That's my boy." Casper ruffled his hair before leaving.

Daniel then heard nervous groans. It was the pottery guy struggling with a very large urn.

"Careful!" Daniel went over to help.

"Why thank you." The pottery guy said with relief.

"No problem." Daniel smiled.

The pottery guy's expression changed.

"Why Daniel it's-it's you!" He said nervously.

"Let me help you with that." Daniel offered.

The pottery guy pulled the urn away.

"No no no no, I got it." He said quickly. "I'm fine, you just run along."

"Are you sure?" Daniel's smile faded.

"Oh yes. Absolutely."

Hurt, Daniel left. A discus landed by his feet, causing him to smile and pick it up.

"Yo, over here!" A teenage boy said but gasped when he saw who had picked it up.

"Hey you need an extra guy?" Daniel asked.

"Uh..." The teenage boy said. "Sorry Danny, we already got five and we'd like to keep it an even number."

"Hey wait a second five isn't an even-" Daniel frowned.

Too late, the teenage boy grabbed the discus and he and his friends ran off.

"What a geek." One guy said.

"Destructo Spook." Another guy agreed.

"Maybe we should call him Dumb-iel." The first teenage boy joked.

Even more hurt, Daniel headed for the fountain. He sat down with his head hung.

"Heads up!" Someone called.

The discus flew towards Daniel.

"I got it!" Daniel reached up to catch it.

He did, but he crashed into a pillar. The pillar broke and started to sway.

"Uh-oh." Daniel said.

He tried to stop the pillar from swaying but he just made it make more pillars fall. He tossed the first pillar aside to try to stop the other pillars, but that caused other pillars to fall. Casper returned by this point.

"Son!" He said.

"Hang on pop! Be right back!" Daniel said quickly.

The pillars were heading right for the pottery shop, causing the owner to panic and then cringe. Fortunately the pillars stopped themselves over him, but unfortunately Daniel lost his balance and crashed into the pottery guy, breaking the pottery and causing the pillars to finish falling. Daniel looked at the messed miserably and picked up the discus that started the whole thing. The first teenage boy showed up to get the discus back.

"Nice catch, Dumb-iel." The teenage boy glared before leaving.

Casper went over to his son and put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"This is the last straw Casper!" The pottery guy pulled a vase off his head angrily and then smashed it onto the ground.

"That boy is a menace!" One person said angrily.

"He's too dangerous to be around **normal** people!" Someone else agreed.

"He didn't mean any harm, he's just a kid." Casper said defensively. "He can't control his strength."

"I'm warning you!" The pottery guy said. "You keep that-that-that FREAK away from here!"

Daniel felt as if his heart was going to break. He only wanted to help others and be friends. But his stupid ghostly powers and strength...

Later that day, Casper and Daniel were watching the sunset.

"Son, you shouldn't let those things they said back there get to you." Casper tried to comfort Daniel.

"But pop they're right!" Daniel lost his patience. "I am a freak! I try to fit in, I really do. I just can't. Sometimes I feel like I really don't belong here. Like I'm supposed to be someplace else."

Casper started to feel bad.

"Daniel, son-" He was about to explain.

"I know it doesn't make any sense." Daniel interrupted before walking away.

As he walked around he started to sing:

I have often dreamed  
Of a far off place  
Where a great warm welcome  
Will be waiting for me

Where the crowds will cheer  
When they see my face  
And a voice keeps saying  
'This is where I'm meant to be'

I will find my way  
I can go the distance  
I'll be there someday  
If I can be strong

I know every mile  
Will be worth my while  
I would go most anywhere  
To feel like I belong

He then decided to head home. When he got there he found his parents looking as if they were wanting to tell him something.

"Daniel, there's something your mother and I have been meaning to tell you." Casper admitted.

So they told him the truth about his being adopted. Daniel was confused.

"But if you found me, then where did I come from?" He asked. "Why was I left here?"

Alma unwrapped a package on her lap. It was a medallion.

"This was around your neck when we found you." She gave the medallion to Daniel, who looked at it. "It's the symbol of the ghost-gods." She added as he looked at the ghost image on it.

"This is it!" Daniel said excitedly. "Don't you see, maybe they have the answers! I'll go to the Temple of Jack Fenton and-" He stopped and looked at his parents. "Ma, pop, you're the greatest parents anyone could have but...I gotta know."


	5. The Ghostly Truth

The next morning Daniel left, knowing that no matter what he'd learn he'd always see Casper and Alma as his parents. He sang again as he made the journey to Jack's temple.

I am on my way,  
I can go the distance,  
I don't care how far,  
Somehow I'll be strong,

I know every mile,  
Will be worth my while,  
I would go most anywhere,  
To find where I belong.

Finally he arrived. He looked at the giant statue of Jack for a moment and then kneeled down.

"Oh mighty Jack Fenton." He said. "Please, hear me and answer my prayer. I need to know: Who am I? Where did I come from?"

Suddenly a huge gust of wind appeared out of nowhere. A ghost-bolt hit the statue and the torches lit on their own. The statue of Jack suddenly opened its eyes!

"My boy." Jack smiled. "My little Daniel."

Daniel freaked out and tried to ran away. Jack picked him up before he could.

"Hey hold on kiddo." Jack laughed. "What's your hurry? After all these years is this the kind of hello you give to your father?"

"Father?" Daniel stammered.

"Didn't know you had a famous father did you? Surprise! Look how you've grown, why you've got my eyes and your mother's chin."

"I don't understand." Daniel was even more confused. "If you're my father, that would make me..."

"A ghost-god." Jack confirmed.

"A ghost-god." Daniel was starting to grasp it. "A ghost-god!" He fell back.

"Hey you wanted answers and by thunder you're old enough now to know the truth."

"Then why would you leave me on Earth?" Daniel got back up. "Didn't you want me?"

"Of course we did, your mother and I loved you with all our hearts." Jack smiled before frowning. "But someone stole you from us and turned you half-mortal. And only full ghost-gods can live on Mt. Spiritus."

"And you can't do a thing?" Daniel asked, crestfallen.

"I can't Daniel, but you can!" Jack smiled again.

"Really?" Daniel beamed. "What? I'll do anything!"

"Daniel, if you can prove yourself a true hero on Earth your ghost-godhood will be restored."

"A true hero. Great!" Daniel smiled but then looked confused. "Uh, exactly how do you become a true hero?"

"First you must seek out Frostbitetetes, the trainer of heroes."

"Seek out Frostbitetetes. Right I'll-" Daniel almost fell off Jack's hand but Jack caught him and set him down.

"Whoa heel boy!" Jack laughed. "Which reminds me."

He then whistled. A ghostly ball of light zoomed down and poofed into the form of a large dog.

"You probably don't remember Cujo." Jack said. "But you two go way back son."

Cujo bounded to Daniel and licked his face. He then bopped heads with him. Daniel had a fuzzy memory of bopping heads with a little puppy.

"Oh Cujo!" He hugged his dog.

"He's a magnificent dog, with the brain of a bird."

Cujo frowned at him.

"Oops. Sorry."

"I'll find Frostbitetetes, become a true hero!" Daniel declared as he got onto Cujo's back.

Cujo flew into the air.

"That's the spirit!" Jack said proudly.

"I won't let you down father!" Daniel declared.

"Good luck son." Jack said proudly as Daniel and Cujo left.

Daniel sang with joy:

I will beat the odds  
I can go to the distance  
I will face the world  
Fearless proud and strong  
I will please the ghost-gods  
I can go to the distance  
Till I find my hero's welcome right where I belong


	6. Cold Reception and Last Hope

Cujo continued flying until he landed on an abandoned looking snowy island.

"You sure this is the right place?" Daniel asked.

Cujo nodded, having remembered the instructions Jack gave to him before appearing in front of Daniel.

They then heard women laughing and followed the sound. There were some ghostly nymphs enjoying themselves by a pool. Daniel then heard growling and looked down to see some paws sticking out of the bushes.

"Oh are you stuck?" Daniel guessed. "Here big fella, let me help you."

He pulled the furry creature out, only to see that it was some sort of horned bear/wolf-like creature. Daniel let go startled.

"Hey what's the big idea?" The creature protested.

The nymphs suddenly gasped and ran off.

"Girls stop stop!" The creature ran after them.

One turned into snow flowers and another turned into a pine tree.

"Nymphs." He shrugged. 'They can't keep their hands off me."

The tree nymph punched him away. The creature grumbled as he massaged his cheek and then gave up and snacked on some snowberries.

"What's the matter, you never seen a Frozen One before?" The creature saw that Daniel was staring at him.

"Uh, no." Daniel admitted. "Can you help us? We're looking for someone named...Frostbite..ees?"

"Call me Frostbite." The Frozen One said.

"Frostbite!" Daniel said happily, shaking his arm rapidly. "Boy am I glad to meet you, I'm Daniel!"

Frostbite quickly pulled away and looked at his arm with shock. Daniel accidentally froze it. Frostbite knocked the ice off his arm.

"And this is Cujo." Daniel added.

Cujo licked Frostbite on the cheek.

"Dogs." He muttered. "Disgusting."

"I need your help." Daniel said. "I want to become a hero, a true hero."

They were walking towards an icy cave now, with Frostbite leading the way.

"Sorry kid can't help you." Frostbite went into his cave and shut the ice door.

"Wait!" Daniel opened the door...ripping it off his hinges.

Frostbite, still holding onto the door from the other end, glared at him.

"Uh, sorry." Daniel said sheepishly. "Why not?"

"Two words: I am retired." Frostbite took his door back and reattached it.

Daniel counted the words on his finger, but shrugged it off.

"Look I gotta do this." Daniel continued. "Haven't you ever had a dream, something you wanted so bad that'd you do anything?"

Frostbite softened.

"Kid, come inside I want to show you something." He said.

Daniel did, Cujo not far behind. They then saw that the cave was full of statues and discuses and all sort of other things. Even a tall log that was propped against a wall for some reason.

"Wow, did you train all these people?" Daniel was impressed.

"Yeah I trained all of them, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, a lot of 'yeuseus'." Frostbite bitterly spun a discus. "And every single one of those bums let me down, flatter than a discus. None of 'em could go to the distance. And then there was Achilles. Now there was a guy who had it all, the build, the foot-speed, he could jab, he could take a hit, he could keep on coming! But that hypothermic heel of his! He barely touches snow there once and 'kaboom' he's history."

Frostbite then sighed and went over to a rolled up piece of paper.

"Yeah I had a dream once. I dreamed I was gonna train the greatest hero there ever was. So great, the ghost-gods would hang a picture of him in the stars, all across the sky." Frostbite unrolled the paper to reveal a drawing of a heroic constellation. "And people would say 'that's Frostbite's boy', that's right. Ah but dreams are for rookies, a guy can only take so much disappointment."

"But I'm different than those other guys Frostbite!" Daniel said excitedly. "I can go to the distance! Come on I'll show you."

He grabbed Frostbite and dragged him outside. Frostbite had to admit that the kid was strong, but he wasn't going to admit it out loud.

"Geez you don't give up do you?" He muttered.

Daniel then let go of Frostbite as he stopped by a broken piece of a giant ice statue.

"Watch this." Daniel smiled.

He picked up the giant piece, flung it, and then destroyed it with a ghost ray.

"Holy Maddie." Frostbite was actually impressed. "You know maybe if I-no! Snap out of it! I'm too old to get mixed up in this stuff again!"

"But if I don't become a true hero, I'll never be able to rejoin my father Jack Fenton!" Daniel protested.

Frostbite froze for a few seconds.

"Hold it, Jack Fenton is your father right?" He said before laughing. "Jack? The big guy? He's your daddy? Mr. Ghostly-Bolts? 'Read me a book would ya dada?' Jack! 'Once upon a time-'." He continued laughing.

"It's the truth!" Daniel frowned defensively.

"Puh-lease!" Frostbite scoffed before singing:

So, ya wanna be a hero, kid?  
Well, whoop-de-do!  
I have been around the block before  
With blockheads just like you

Each and every one a disappointment  
Pain for which there ain't no ointment  
So much for excuses  
Though a kid of Jack is

Asking me to jump into the fray  
My answer is two words-

A ghostly bolt zapped him. Frostbite looked up awkwardly, realizing that Daniel was telling the truth.

"Ok." He gave in.

"You mean you'll do it?" Daniel slapped Frostbite on the back happily.

"You win." Frostbite admitted.

"You won't be sorry Frostbite." Daniel and Cujo high-fived.

"Oh ghost-gods."

"So when can we start, can we start now?"

"Oy vey!"

Frostbite then went back to singing:

I'd given up hope that someone would come along

A fellow who'd ring the bell for once  
Not the gong  
The kind who wins trophies  
Won't settle for low fees  
At least semi-pro fees  
But no - I get the greenhorn

Frostbite, Daniel, and Cujo worked together to restore the training areas. Daniel, trying out a sword, got it stuck in an apple tree. In trying to get it out he ended up uprooting the tree and making it fall on him and Frostbite. Some apples got stuck onto Frostbite's horns much to his annoyance.

I've been out to pasture pal, my ambition gone  
Content to spend lazy days and to graze my lawn  
But you need an advisor  
A Frozen One, but wiser  
A good merchandiser  
And whoah!  
There goes my ulcer!

Daniel was practicing archery, but ended up making Frostbite sail through the air instead of the arrow.

I'm down to one last hope  
And I hope it's you  
Though, kid, you're not exactly  
A dream come true  
I've trained enough turkeys  
Who never came through  
You're my one last hope  
So you'll have to do

Frostbite now made Daniel work on his build and balance. He still needed a lot of work on the balance.

Now Daniel was working on saving damsels in distress. Using a fake damsel.

"Rule number six." Frostbite said. "When rescuing a damsel, always handle with care."

Daniel, a bit too overeager, just grabbed the 'damsel', making an arm fall off, and tripped on a log. He broke through the log, causing him and the 'damsel' to fall into the river below. Frostbite facepalmed.

Daniel was now working on aiming using daggers and cutouts of monsters.

"Rule number ninety-five kid," Frostbite said. "Concentrate!"

Daniel grabbed the daggers and tossed them. He and Cujo then winced: the daggers had surrounded Frostbite.

"Rule number ninety-six!" Frostbite snapped, annoyed. "Aim!"

Demigods have faced the odds  
And ended up a mockery  
Don't believe the stories  
That you read on all the crockery

Daniel tried another rescuing damsel attempt, but ended up breaking the 'damsel' on a mountain. Frostbite by this point just shrugged it off.

To be a true hero, kid, is a dying art  
Like painting a masterpiece, it's a work of heart  
It takes more than sinew  
Comes down to what's in you  
You have to continue to grow  
Now that's more like it!

Daniel tried throwing daggers again, this time aiming. He missed most of them, so half-heartedly tossed the last one. It hit the target much to his joy and surprise.

He also continued practicing balance and was getting much better. His build had improved greatly too.

I'm down to one last shot  
And my last high note  
Before that blasted Underworld  
Gets my goat  
My dreams are on you, kid  
Go make 'em come true  
Climb that uphill slope  
Keep pushing that envelope  
You're my one last hope  
And, kid, it's up to you

Daniel now had to try the toughest rescuing damsel challenge of all. Avoid swinging axes, a chopping metal mouth, a pounding marble fist, and a couple ghost sharks. Cujo chewed his claws nervously as Daniel went through the challenge. Daniel flew around the axes, used telekinesis to keep the jaw open so that he could fly in between them without getting hurt, used intangibility to make it through the fist and then used ghost rays to blast the ghost sharks away. He then grabbed the 'damsel' without harming her and used his sword to defeat a bunch of monster cutouts, also using a shield to catch all the arrows the monster cutouts fired.

"Did you see that?" Daniel laughed, high-fiving Cujo. "Next stop, Spiritus!"

"All right just take it easy champ." Frostbite said.

"I am ready, I want to get off this island!" Daniel said. "I want to see battles and monsters. Rescue some damsels. You know, heroic stuff."

"Well..." Frostbite thought it over.

"Aw come on Frostbite!" Daniel pleaded.

"Well okay, okay. You want a road test?" Frostbite smiled. "Saddle up kid, we're going to Thebes!"


	7. DID With a Secret

"So what's in Thebes?" Daniel asked as they flew towards the city.

"A lot of problems." Frostbite explained. "It's a big tough town, good place to start buildin' a rep."

Suddenly they heard a woman scream.

"Sounds like your basic D.I.D." Frostbite realized. "Damsel in distress-!"

Daniel had zoomed Cujo towards the sound, almost making Frostbite fall off. They then found a black-haired woman wearing a black toga and boots trying to get away from a motorcycle riding teen ghost. The two of them were on a pond in front of a waterfall.

"Not so fast sweetheart." The teen ghost caught up with the woman and picked her up.

"I swear Johnny 13 put me down or I'll-" The woman glared.

"Oo, I like 'em fiery!" Johnny grinned.

Daniel became furious.

"Now remember kid, analyze the situation." Frostbite whispered. "Don't just barrel in there without thinking-"

He stopped because Daniel had barreled in there without thinking.

"He's losing points for this!" Frostbite crossed his arms irritatedly.

"You don't know what you're-" The woman continued protesting.

"Halt!" Daniel ordered.

Startled and confused, Johnny 13 stopped trying to kiss the woman. He then stomped over to Daniel.

"Step aside shrimp." Johnny 13 towered over Daniel.

"Pardon me my good...uh, cyclist." Daniel said sternly. "I'll have to ask you to release that young-"

"Keep moving junior." The woman said.

"Lady." Daniel finished with confusion. "But you...aren't you a damsel in distress?"

"I'm a damsel." The woman tried to break free of Johnny 13's grip. "I'm in distress. I can handle it. Have a nice day."

"Uh...ma'am I'm afraid you may be too close to the situation to realize-"

Johnny 13 punched Daniel into the lake before he could finish. Frostbite groaned.

"What are you doing?" He called exasperatedly. "Get your sword!"

"Sword, right right." Daniel got up and searched for it. "Rule number fifteen a hero is only as good as his weapon!"

Johnny 13 laughed. Instead of a sword Daniel had grabbed a fish. The fish screamed and zipped off and Daniel was punched away again. Cujo had enough, he started to go help Daniel.

"Whoa hold it hold it!" Frostbite held Cujo back. "He's gotta do it on his own. Come on kid concentrate!" Frostbite called. "Use your head!"

Daniel smirked, getting an idea, and charged towards Johnny 13. He then butted Johnny 13 with his head so that Johnny 13 slammed into the wall behind the waterfall.

"All right not bad kid!" Frostbite cheered before shrugging. "Not exactly what I had in mind but not bad."

Daniel smiled proudly, but then saw the woman sitting in the pond soaked.

"Oh, gee miss I'm really sorry." He apologized, picking her up and setting her gently on a tree root. "That was dumb."

"Yeah." The woman agreed.

Johnny 13 was coming back on his motorcycle.

"Excuse me." Daniel ran off.

Daniel flew over Johnny 13, causing Johnny 13 to stop confused. Daniel then hopped onto the motorcycle behind Johnny 13 and grabbed him by the neck, causing Johnny 13 to drive around trying to throw him off. Daniel just pounded Johnny 13 on the head and then tossed him off the motorcycle.

"Nice work!" Frostbite came closer. "Excellente!"

"Is Spirit Boy here for real?" The woman asked.

"What are you talking about, of course he's real!" Frostbite frowned defensively until he saw how attractive the woman was. "And by the way sweet cheeks, I'm real too." He flirted.

The woman, disgusted, pushed Frostbite away.

Johnny 13 and Daniel were still fighting. Johnny 13 managed to get back on his motorcycle and now was giving Daniel another ride. Daniel then grabbed a limb and swung Johnny 13 around so that he slammed into the trunk. Johnny 13 glared at Daniel but Daniel took the motorcycle and used it to send both it and Johnny 13 flying into the air. Johnny 13 landed and gasped for air, only to have his motorcycle fall on him and pin him unconscious.

"How was that Frostbite." Daniel asked, coming out of the lake.

"Rein it in rookie." Frostbite frowned, having just shaken himself dry. "You can get away with mistakes like those in the minor decathlons, but this is the big leagues!"

"At least I beat him didn't I?" Daniel shrugged, a bit exasperated.

"Next time don't let your guard down because of a pair of big goo-goo eyes!" Frostbite said irritatedly. "It's like I keep telling ya, you gotta stay focused and...you..."

Daniel walked towards the woman, cutting Frostbite off. Cujo raised a paw to stop Daniel, but Daniel juts walked right past him. Cujo growled and so did Frostbite.

"Are you all right Miss...uh..." Daniel realized that he didn't know her name.

"Samantha, my friends call me Sam." The woman said quickly. "At least they would if I had any friends. So, do you have a name along with all those rippling pectorals?"

"Uh..." Daniel started stammering; he had never met anyone like her before.

"Are you always this articulate?" Sam teased.

"Daniel!" Daniel found his voice. "My name is Daniel."

"Daniel huh? I think I prefer Spirit Boy." Sam smirked.

Cujo and Frostbite went closer and Cujo tried blocking Daniel's view with a paw. Didn't work.

"So, uh, how'd you get mixed up with that motorcycle guy?" Daniel asked Sam.

"Well you know how men are." Sam shrugged. "They think 'no' means 'yes' and 'get lost' means 'take me I'm yours'."

Daniel, not being that kind of guy, didn't get it. Neither did Cujo.

"Don't worry furball there can explain it to you later." Sam pointed to Frostbite.

Frostbite was obviously insulted.

"Well thanks for everything Danny, it's been a real slice." Sam started to leave.

"Danny..." Daniel realized that he liked that nickname. "Wait! Uh, can we give you a ride?" He gestured to Cujo.

Cujo growled and flew into an apple tree.

"I don't think your greyhound likes me very much." Sam noticed.

"Cujo?" Daniel scoffed. "Oh no don't be silly he'd be more than happy to-*ow*."

Cujo had hit Daniel on the head with an apple, then he hummed innocently.

"I'll be all right." Sam waved a hand dismissively. "I'm a big tough girl, I tie my own boots and everything. Bye-bye Spirit Boy." She left.

"Bye." Daniel said softly, obviously lovestruck.

Frostbite growled.

"She's...something isn't she Frostbite?" Daniel smiled.

"Oh yeah, she's really something...a real pain in the patella!" Frostbite snapped. "Earth to Danny! Come in Danny come in Danny! We have a job to do remember? Thebes is still waiting."

"Yeah, yeah I know." Daniel still had his mind on Sam.

Speaking of her, she watched them leave and then started walking through the woods. She stopped when she came across a rabbit and gopher.

"Aw how cute." She said. "A couple of rodents looking for a theme park."

"Who are you calling a rodent sister?" The rabbit frowned. "I'm a bunny!"

"And I'm his gopher." The gopher added.

They then morphed back into Skulker and Walker with a "Ta-dah!".

"I thought I smelled a rat." Sam scoffed.

"Sam."

"Speak of the devil." She frowned.

It was Vlad.

"Sam my little flower, my little bird, my little nut." Vlad used his telekinesis to move her closer. "What exactly happened here? I thought you were gonna persuade the teen motorcycle ghost to join my team for the uprising and here I am kind of teen ghost-less."

"I gave it my best shot but he made me an offer I had to refuse." Sam explained.

"Fine." Vlad shrugged. "So instead of subtracting two years from your sentence I'm gonna add two on okay? Give that your best shot."

"Look it wasn't my fault it was this Spirit Boy Daniel." Sam said defensively.

Vlad looked shocked. Skulker and Walker looked confused.

"Daniel?" Walker said. "Why does that name ring a bell?"

"I dunno." Skulker shrugged. "Maybe we owe him money?"

"What was that name again?" Vlad asked Sam, hoping he misunderstood.

"Daniel." Sam said. "He comes on with this big innocent farm boy routine but I saw through that in a paranormal minute."

"Wait a minute, wasn't Daniel the name of that kid we were supposed to-" Skulker suddenly remembered.

"Oh my ghost-gods!" He and Walker screamed.

They tried to run away but Vlad caught them with extended ghostly arms.

"So you took care of him huh? Dead as a doornail!" Vlad said angrily. "Weren't those your exact words?"

"This might be a different Daniel." Skulker suggested.

"Yeah I mean Daniel is a very popular name nowadays." Walker agreed.

"Remember a few years back when every other boy was named Jason and all the girls were Brittany?"

Didn't help them.

"I'm about to rearrange the cosmos," Vlad began, dropping Skulker and Walker who morphed into beetles. "And the one spook who can louse it up is WALTZING AROUND IN THE WOODS!" Vlad lost his temper.

"Wait, wait Vlad we can still cut in on his waltzing." Skulker turned back into his real form.

"That's right!" Walker turned back into his real form. "And at least we made him mortal. That's a good thing."

Vlad thought for a moment.

"Fortunately for the three of you there is time to correct this rather monstrous oversight." He said. "And this time: no foul ups."


	8. CID and a Fiery Battle

A.N. CID stands for City In Distress.

Daniel, Frostbite, and Cujo finally arrived in Thebes. Or over Thebes technically.

"Wow." Daniel marveled at the city. "Is that all one town?"

"One town, a million troubles." Frostbite nodded. "The one and only Thebes. The Big Olive itself. If you can make it there you can make it anywhere."

They landed and started walking through the city. At one point they crossed a street.

"Stick with me kid." Frostbite said. "The city is a dangerous place."

A chariot driver almost hit him.

"Look where you're going numbskull!" The driver called back.

"Hey I'm walkin' here!" Frostbite retorted before turning back to Daniel. "See what I mean? I'm telling you, wackos."

They continued on their way only to come across a sleazy salesman.

"Hey mac." He opened his coat. "Wanna buy a sundial?"

"He's not interested all right?" Frostbite pulled Daniel away. "Come on kid."

"The end is coming!" A freaked-out guy then ran up to them. "Can't you feel it?"

"Yes yes, thank you for the info. We'll ponder that for a while." Frostbite said dryly before continuing to pull Daniel away. "Just stare at the sidewalk don't make eye-contact. People here are nuts. That's because they live in a city of turmoil. Trust me kid, you're gonna be just what the doctor ordered."

Speaking of Thebians, a few young people were by a fountain going over the disasters they went through recently.

"It was tragic." One woman, Paulina, groaned. "We lost everything in the fire."

"Everything except old Snowball here." A charred looking man named Kwan said as he held up a charred-looking cat.

Should name him Smoky now.

"Now were the fires before or after the earthquake?" Another man named Dash tried to remember.

"Oh they were after the earthquake I remember." Another woman, Star, said still shaking.

"But before the flood." Paulina added.

"Don't even get me started on the crime rate." A third woman, Valerie, frowned.

"Thebes has certainly gone downhill in a hurry." Paulina sighed.

"Tell me about it." Valerie agreed.

Daniel, Frostbite, and Cujo arrived at this point. Frostbite gestured for Daniel to introduce himself.

"It seems like every time I turn around there's some new monster wreaking havoc and I-" Valerie continued.

"All we need now is a plague of locusts." Kwan remarked.

A little locust hopped onto the fountain. They all stared at it and it chirped. They then freaked out.

"That's it!" Valerie had enough. "I'm moving to Sparta!"

"Excuse me." Daniel said. "It seems to me that what you folks need is a hero."

They all looked at him skeptically.

"Yeah, and who are you?" Dash asked.

"I'm Daniel and I happen to be a hero."

They laughed.

"Have you ever saved a town before?" Valerie asked.

"No." Daniel had to admit. "Not exactly but-"

"Have you ever reversed a natural disaster?" Dash grabbed Daniel by the shirt front.

"Well no..."

"Oh listen to this." Dash scoffed. "He's just another chariot chaser. This we need."

"That's a laugh." Paulina agreed.

"Don't you pea-brains get it?" Frostbite snapped, annoyed. "This kid's the genuine article!"

"Hey isn't that the bear-thing who trained Achilles?" Kwan recognized him.

"Watch it pal." Frostbite growled.

"Yeah you're right." Dash smirked. "Hey nice job on those heels! You missed a spot!"

"I got your heel, right here!" Frostbite tackled Dash and started beating him up. "I'll wipe that stupid grin off your face! You-"

"Frostbite!" Daniel pulled Frostbite off Dash.

"What are you crazy?" Dash backed away. "Sheesh."

"Young man, we need a **professional** hero." Paulina said to Daniel. "**Not** an amateur."

"Hey wait, stop!" Daniel protested.

Everyone left.

"How am I supposed to prove myself a hero if nobody will give me a chance?" Daniel sighed.

"You'll get your chance." Frostbite said reassuringly. "All we need is some type of catastrophe or disaster."

"Please!" A familiar female voice called out. "Help! Please! There's been a terrible accident!"

"Sam?" Daniel brightened.

"Speaking of disasters." Frostbite muttered under his breath.

"Spirit Boy!" Sam saw Daniel. "Danny thank goodness!"

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked, concerned.

"Outside of town, two little boys, they were playing in the gorge." Sam explained. "There was this rockslide a terrible rockslide...they're trapped."

"Kids? Trapped?" Daniel smiled. "Frostbite this is great!"

"You're really choked up about this aren't you?" Sam said dryly.

"Come on!" Daniel took Sam's hand and put her on Cujo.

"No I-" Sam protested. "You don't understand I have this terrible fear of heights!"

Too late, they took off. Cujo snickered to himself and flew a little wildly.

Everyone ran after them, Frostbite included.

Finally Daniel, Cujo, and Sam landed in the gorge. Daniel noticed how sick Sam looked.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned again.

"I'll be fine just get me down before I ruin the upholstery." Sam said.

Daniel helped her down.

"Help I can't breathe!" One boy called out.

"Hurry!" Another boy called out. "Get us out!"

"We're suffocating! Somebody call IX-I-I!"

Daniel ran over to them.

"Easy fellas, you'll be all right." He said.

"We can't last much longer!" The second boy said.

"Get us out before we get crushed!" The first boy said.

Daniel lifted the boulder and the two boys ran out. The people applauded very lightly.

"How're you boys doin?" Daniel asked.

"We're okay now." The first boy smiled.

"Jeepers mister you're really strong." The second boy remarked.

"Well just try to be a little more careful next time okay kids?" Daniel smiled.

"We sure will!" The first boy said as he and his pal ran off.

Daniel then tossed the boulder aside. The kids continued running until they were on a ledge.

"Stirring performance boys." Vlad, who was on the ledge, said. "I was really moved."

"'Jeepers mister'?" Walker said with disgust as he turned back into his real form.

"I was going for innocence." Skulker shrugged as he turned back into his real form.

"And hey two thumbs way way up for our leading lady." Vlad added. "What a dish, what a doll."

Sam just looked down where Daniel was.

"Get out of there you big lug while you still can." She said to herself.

Frostbite joined Daniel's side.

"Frostbite I did great!" Daniel smiled. "They even applauded...sort of."

"Yeah not bad for a first real job." Frostbite shrugged. "But not enough to really-"

They suddenly heard hissing.

"I hate to burst your bubble kid, but that ain't applause." Frostbite then said nervously.

They backed up as a giant black dragon came out of the cave that had been blocked by the boulder. This dragon was Aragon, and old friend of Vlad's. Vlad had hired him to kill Daniel obviously.

"Frostbite," Daniel stammered. "What do you call that thing?"

Unfortunately, Frostbite hadn't included dragons in the training because they weren't that common in Greece. Even though Frostbite knew what the creature was he also knew this wasn't the time to sound like an encyclopedia.

"Two words:" Frostbite said before running away. "AM-SCRAAY!"

Frostbite had every reason to be scared: one fireball from that dragon and he would become a puddle.

"Let's get ready to rumble!" Vlad cheered.

Daniel started backing away from the creature and moving in a circle.

"That's it, dance around dance around." Frostbite coached from behind a rock. "What the teeth, watch the teeth. Keep going, come on come on."

Daniel, holding his sword out, avoided Aragon's snaps. He then decided to forget the sword and go with some ghost powers.

"Hit with your left, your left." Frostbite coached.

Daniel automatically fired a ghost ray out of his right hand but missed.

"Your other left!" Frostbite called.

Daniel fired a ghost ray out of his left hand and this time it hit his mark. Aragon fell to the ground slightly unconscious but then got back up furious. Daniel kept dancing around a little, and then blasted an ice beam at Aragon. Aragon breathed fire onto the ice beam, turning it into water. Daniel ducked down as he was soaked. Aragon then breathed fire onto Daniel, who used a ghost shield to protect himself. He then used the shield to push the fire back onto Aragon. The fire burnt Aragon's head off, causing him to fall to the ground dead. This time the people cheered.

"All right all right!" Frostbite cheered.

"See Frostbite?" Daniel said, weak from the intense heat. "That wasn't so hard."

"Kid, how many horns do you see?" Frostbite asked.

"Four?"

"Eh close enough, come on let's get you cooled down."

Skulker and Walker were nervous.

"Guys guys relax." Vlad smirked. "It's only half-time."

Aragon's body moved.

"That doesn't sound good." Frostbite turned around.

Aragon had grown two heads in place of the one he lost!

"Definitely not good!" Frostbite panicked and ran away.

Fortunately by that point it had started raining, which cooled Daniel enough to regain his focus. Aragon came for Daniel, both heads trying to eat him now. Cujo, having none of that, flew down and picked Daniel up.

They flew around, Daniel automatically using fiery ghost rays to burn off heads. Two more grew whenever one was burnt off, but Daniel kept going until there were dozens of them.

"WILL YOU FORGET THE HEAD BURNING THING?" Frostbite lost his temper.

Cujo flew up high, out of reach, but before he could make it one head knocked Daniel off him. He fell down into the sea of necks, too scared to fly away or even become intangible.

"Frostbite, I don't think we covered this one in basic training!" He panicked.

The heads kept coming for him, so he had to dodge and leap over quite a few. Finally Aragon grabbed him in his claws and pinned him to the rocky wall.

"My favorite part of the game." Vlad grinned evilly.

Aragon prepared to strike!

"Sudden death." Vlad continued grinning.

But then, Daniel got an idea. He used more ghost rays to make the rocky wall crumble into pieces and bury Aragon. The only thing left sticking out was a fist, which tensed for a moment before falling to the ground limp. Aragon was dead.

However, Daniel was nowhere to be seen. Cujo whimpered worriedly as the people gasped.

"Oh, there goes another one." Frostbite said to himself sadly. "Just like Achilles."

"Game, set, match." Vlad lit himself a cigar.

Just then, the fist started moving! The people drew back with fright...but no need for alarm. It was just Daniel breaking free of Aragon's grip! The people paused for a moment and then cheered wildly. They went over to Daniel and carried him in celebration.

"Frostbite, you gotta admit." Daniel smiled, a bit dazed but relieved and happy. "That was pretty heroic."

"Ya did it kid!" Frostbite cheered. "Ya did it! Ya won by a landslide! Literally!"

Vlad was so furious that he burned his cigar away.

"Well, what do you know?" Sam said to herself before secretly clapping.


	9. Zero To Hero

The scene switched back to the Muses.

"From that day forward, our boy Daniel could do no wrong." Dora smiled. "He was so hot, steam looked cool."

DORA:  
Oh yeah!  
Bless my soul  
Danny was on a roll

DANI:  
Person of the week  
In every Greek opinion poll

EMBER:  
What a pro

DORA:  
Danny could stop a show  
Point him at a ghost-monster  
And you're talkin' S.R.O  
He was a no one

ALL:  
A zero  
Zero

DORA:  
Now he's a honcho

ALL:  
He's a hero

Daniel had to deal with a ghostly warthog. He turned that warthog into a pork dinner (well, a pork dinner for ghosts) by firing an arrow powered with his ghost ray.

DANI:  
He was a kid with his act down pat

ALL:  
Zero to hero  
In no time flat  
Zero to hero

Vlad knocked aside his statuette of the warthog with irritation.

DORA:  
Just like that

ALL:  
When he smiled  
The girls went wild  
With oos and aahs

DANI:  
And they slapped his face  
On every vase

Ember hit Dani on the head with a scroll.

EMBER:  
With every vahse!

Annoyed, Dani plopped the vahse over Ember's head.

ALL:  
From appearance fees  
And royalties  
Our Danny had cash to burn  
Now nouveau rich and famous

Daniel had become so famous that he got a giant statue of himself right in the middle of Thebes.

DORA:  
He could tell you what's a Grecian urn

ALL:  
Say amen  
There he goes again

PENELOPE:  
Sweet and undefeated

DESIRE:  
And an awesome ten for ten

Daniel now defeated a ghostly lion by kicking it over a bar that was balanced on two poles.

ALL:  
Folks lined up  
Just to watch him flex

DANI:  
And this perfect package packed a pair of pretty pecs!

Daniel now had become so famous that he had his own merchandise, including action figures. The action figures couldn't do everything he could of course, but along with flexing muscles they could shoot out his fists, which was a trick he had learned during one of his battles.

ALL:  
Daniel he comes he sees he conquers

DORA:  
Honey the crowds were goin' bonkers

Daniel now defeated a ghostly vulture by trapping it in an anti-ecto cage.

ALL:  
He showed the moxie  
Brains and spunk

EMBER:  
Yeah!

An ectopus tried to attack Daniel and Frostbite as they were taking a boat ride on the ocean, but Daniel noticed it in time and fought it. Soon he had tied all the tentacles together, allowing him to bring it back to shore like a fishing trophy.

ALL:  
From zero to hero

DANI:  
A major hunk

ALL:  
Zero to hero

Vlad, now growing furious, melted his statuette of the ectopus.

DORA:  
And who'd have thunk?

Who put the 'glad' in gladiator?

ALL:  
Daniel!

DESIRE:  
Who's daring deeds are great theater?

ALL:  
Daniel!

She wasn't kidding, companies started putting on plays about Daniel's heroic actions.

DESIRE:  
Isn't he bold?

MURAL GUYS:  
No one braver

EMBER:  
Is he sweet?

ALL:  
Our favorite flavor

What they meant was this new drink Daniel started sponsoring called Daniealldo (despite the name it wasn't alcoholic).

ALL:  
Daniel!  
Daniel!

DANI:  
My man!

ALL:  
Daniel!

Daniel hadn't forgotten his mortal parents Casper and Alma by the way. Along with cash (mostly for paying for the accidents he caused in the past) he sent them some merchandise, mostly vases and urns. They were obviously very proud of him, they even high-fived at one point.

ALL:  
Daniel!  
Daniel!

PENELOPE:  
Look at my Daniel!

Daniel's popularity had become so great that even a new style of sandals had been named after him: Air-Dans.

Daniel!  
Daniel!

Bless my soul  
Danny was on a roll  
Undefeated

Vlad now sent his ghost minotaur, his ghost griffon, and his ghost gorgon (fortunately her powers didn't work on other ghosts, meaning Daniel was safe) to attack Daniel but he just punched them away one at a time until they ended up on top of each other.

Riding high

DORA:  
And the nicest guy

ALL:  
Not conceited

He was a nothing  
Zero zero  
Now he's a honcho  
He's our hero

Daniel even stopped a volcano from erupting by plugging it with a giant boulder.

He hit the heights at breakneck speed  
From zero to hero

Vlad was so frustrated that he just did a headdesk and stayed there for a few minutes.

Danny is a hero  
Yeah he's a hero

Daniel and Cujo now gained enough popularity to preserve their handprints (and pawprints) in cement.

"Yes indeed." Dora finished, smiling.


	10. New Idea and Disappointment

Actually, Vlad, Skulker, Walker, and Sam were there for the whole cement ceremony. Vlad was venting his anger by blasting vases and urns with Daniel's image on them (much to Skulker and Walker's relief).

"Pull!" Vlad ordered.

Skulker and Walker tossed a vase into the air and Vlad blasted it.

"Nice shootin' Rex." Sam said dryly.

"I can't believe this guy." Vlad complained. "I throw everything I've got at him and it doesn't even-"

He stopped because he saw Skulker wearing an enlarged pair of Air-Dans.

"What are those?" Vlad asked sternly.

"Uh, I dunno. I thought they looked kinda dashing." Skulker feigned innocence.

"I 've got twenty-four hours to get rid of this airhead, or the entire scheme I've been setting up for eighteen years goes up in smoke..." Vlad slowly lost his temper, causing Skulker to grow slowly terrified. "And you...are wearing HIS MERCHANDISE!"

He almost blasted Skulker, but stopped when he heard slurping. It was Walker with a container of Daniealldo. Walker stopped slurping awkwardly.

"Heh, uh, thirsty?" He tried covering up.

That did it.

*BOOM!* The resulting explosion caused everyone down below to look around with confusion.

Skulker and Walker had both been blasted onto the wall, only to fall down very dazed.

"Looks like your game's over." Sam smirked almost gloatingly. "Spirit Boy's hitting every curve you throw at him."

She didn't want to admit it, but she was growing fond of that ghost kid. The fact that he hadn't let his fame or fortune get to his head was the main reason though.

"Oh yeah." Vlad smirked, now getting an idea. "I wonder if I haven't been throwing the right curves at him, Sam my sweet."

"Don't even go there." Sam frowned, knowing what he was getting at.

"See he's gotta have a weakness because everybody has a weakness." Vlad explained. "With Carrie it was the seclusion and with the Trojans, hey, they bet on the wrong horse. We simply need to find out Spirit Boy's."

"I've done my part." Sam refused. "Get your little spooks-"

"They couldn't handle him as a baby." Vlad interrupted. "I need somebody who can handle him as a man."

"Hey I've sworn off manhandling." Sam still refused.

"Well good because that's what got you into this jam in the first place." Vlad smirked. "You sold your soul to save your boyfriends life and how does this creep thank you? By running off with some babe. He hurt you real bad didn't he Sam?"

"Look I learned my lesson okay." Sam tried not to cry.

"Which is exactly why I got a feelin' you're gonna leap at my new offer." Vlad gave her a Daniel vase. "You give me the key to bringing down Spirit Breath, and I give you the thing that you crave most in the entire cosmos. Your freedom."

Sam was so shocked that she dropped the vase...and she couldn't refuse after that.

Later that night, Daniel visited Jack Fenton's temple.

"You should have been there father." Daniel laughed, reenacting battle scenes with Cujo. "I mangled the minotaur, grappled with the gorgon, just like Frostbite told me. I analyzed the situation, controlled my strength, and kicked. The crowds went wild!"

He and Cujo imitated crowd cheers.

"Thank you thank you." Daniel waved to the fake crowd.

"Hah!" Jack said proudly. "You're doing great son. You're doing your old man proud."

"I'm glad to hear you say that father." Daniel smiled. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

"Hmm, what day is that son?" Jack asked.

"The day I rejoin the gods." Daniel said, confused.

"You've done wonderfully." Jack said awkwardly. "You really have my boy. You're just not there yet, you haven't proven yourself a true hero."

"But father I've beaten every single ghost-monster I've come up against." Daniel protested. "I'm-I'm the most famous person in all of Greece, I'm...I'm an action figure!"

"I'm afraid being famous isn't the same as being a true hero." Jack admitted.

"What more can I do?"

"It's something you have to discover for yourself."

"But how can I-"

"Look inside your heart." Jack said before leaving his statue.

"Father, wait!"

Too late. Daniel, frustrated and upset, blasted the floor with his ghost rays. He then fell onto his knees sobbing.

The next day, Daniel and Frostbite were taking care of 'business' in their new mansion as a tour went past the mansion and fangirls climbed over the gates...uh-oh.

"At one you got a meeting with King Augeas." Frostbite went over their schedule. "He's got a problem with his stables. I'd advise you not to wear your new sandals."

"Frostbite." Daniel said out of the corner of his mouth.

"I told you don't move!" The vase painter snapped.

Daniel snapped back into position. As Frostbite read the schedule Daniel was posing for a new painting. He was using the skin of the ghost lion he defeated a while back.

"...D.G.R, the Daughters of the Greek Revolution. At three you gotta get a girdle from some Amazons." Frostbite looked excited about that last one.

"Frostbite, what's the point?" Daniel tossed his weapons aside.

The painter freaked out, messed up the painting, and stormed out.

"That's it!" He yelled.

"Keep your toga on pal!" Frostbite frowned.

The painter only hit Frostbite in the face with his paints, giving him a clown appearance.

"What do you mean 'what's the point'?" Frostbite then asked Daniel. "You wanna go to Spiritus don't ya?"

"Yeah but this stuff doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere." Daniel sat down and pulled the lion skin off.

"You can't give up now, I'm countin' on ya." Frostbite took the lion skin and wiped the paint off with it.

"I gave this everything I had." Daniel hung his head.

"Listen to me kid, I've seen 'em all." Frostbite said sympathetically. "And I am tellin' you - and this is the honest-to-Jack truth - you've got something I've never seen before."

"Really?" Daniel smiled weakly.

"I can feel it right down to these icy cold legs of mine." Frostbite smiled. "There is nothin' you can't do kid."

Remember the fangirls who were climbing the gates earlier? Well guess who just stampeded into the room.

"It's him!" One fangirl screamed.

"Hey watch it watch it watch-!" Frostbite protested only to get pushed aside.

"I touched his elbow!"

"I got his sweatband!"

It was too much. Daniel fell to the ground.

"Frostbite help!" Daniel begged.

"Okay, escape plan Beta." Frostbite whispered.

"Gotcha."

Frostbite went over to the front door, opened it, and blew his panpipes.

"Hey, where is he?" A fangirl asked.

Daniel had disappeared. Thank goodness for intangibility.

"There he goes, on the veranda!" Frostbite pointed outside.

The fangirls ran outside still screaming. Frostbite followed them to help keep them away.


	11. Hero But Still Human

Then someone shut the door: Sam. She was too smart to fall for an obvious trick like that so she started looked around inside for a sign of Daniel. She then saw a statue of him with his eyes closed. Very weird, statues were almost always carved with their eyes open.

"Hm, that statue seems very spirited." She teased. "But I won't know for sure until I see his eyes. How about it Danny?"

Daniel, recognizing the voice, opened his eyes. He then flew out of the statue.

"Oh Sam." He said with relief. "It's you."

"It's all right, the sea of raging hormones has ebbed." Sam smirked.

"Gee, it's great to see you." Daniel smiled. "I missed you."

"So this is what heroes do on their days off?" Sam asked as she lay on one of his sofas.

"Bah, I'm no hero." Daniel scoffed humbly.

"Sure ya are, everybody in Greece thinks you're the greatest thing since they put the pocket in pita."

"I know, it's-it's crazy." Daniel chuckled, a bit embarrassed. "You know I can't go anywhere without being mobbed. Sometimes I don't know whether I'm popular or had just been put on the ghosthunters' most wanted list."

"You sound like you could use a break." Sam smiled. "You think your little papa bear would go berserk if you played hooky this afternoon?"

"Oh gee, I dunno Frostbite's got the rest of the day pretty much booked." Daniel frowned.

"Frosbite schmostbite," Sam scoffed. "Just follow me out the window, round the dumbbells, you fly us over the back wall and we're gone."

Daniel smiled and gave in. The feelings he had for Sam had a lot to do with it too.

Later that night Daniel was laughing about what a great time he had. Even Sam was laughing, she had a great time too.

"Wow, what a day." Daniel grinned. "First that restaurant by the bay, and then that play that-that Oedipus thing? Man, I thought I had problems."

Sam suddenly heard a 'psst'. It was two birds near her. Actually, they were Skulker and Walker in disguise.

"Stop foolin around!" Walker whispered harshly.

"Yeah, get the goods sister." Skulker agreed.

They quickly flew away as Daniel turned back around.

"I didn't know that playing hooky could be so much fun." He smiled.

"Yeah, neither did I." Sam smiled back.

"Thanks Sam."

"Oh, don't thank me just yet-" She tripped but Daniel caught her. "Sorry, weak ankles. It's one of the reasons why I wear boots."

"Really? Then maybe you should sit down." Daniel carried her to a bench.

"So, uh, do you have any problems with things like this?" Sam lifted her leg.

Daniel just looked confused.

"Weak ankles I mean." Sam lowered her leg.

"Oh. No." Daniel shrugged.

"No weaknesses whatsoever? No trick knee, ruptured disks?"

"No, I'm afraid I'm fit as a fiddle." Daniel chuckled before standing up.

"Spirit Boy you are perfect." Sam said dryly.

"Thanks." Daniel didn't catch the sarcasm.

He then skipped a stone on a fountain but it accidentally broke the arms off a statue.

"Whoops." He said sheepishly.

"It looks better that way." Sam reassured him, joining him by the fountain. "No, it really does."

"You know, when I was a kid I would've given anything to be exactly like everybody else." Daniel admitted.

"You wanted to be petty and dishonest?" Sam frowned.

"Everybody's not like that." Daniel looked at her surprised.

"Yes they are." She looked at her reflection sadly.

"You're not like that." Daniel pointed out.

"How do you know what I'm like?" Sam retorted, now starting to feel bad.

"All I know is you're the most amazing person with weak ankles I've ever met." Daniel smiled.

Sam couldn't help but smile, though she backed away a bit, frightened of this new feeling she was getting. She stopped when she backed into something sharp. She turned around and saw that it was just a statue of a baby cupid...a baby cupid?

"Sam, when I'm with you I don't feel so alone." Daniel admitted, deciding to tell her how he really felt.

"Sometimes it's better to be alone." Sam went over and sat down on the edge of the fountain.

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, shocked but staying calm.

"Nobody can hurt you."

Daniel now got it.

"Someone hurt you before huh?" Daniel said sympathetically.

"Ex-boyfriend...I'd rather not talk about it." Sam hung her head.

"It's okay." Daniel joined her at the fountain. "Sam, I promise, I would never ever hurt you."

"And I don't want to hurt you so let's do ourselves both a favor and stop this before we-" Sam said as she and Daniel leaned in to kiss.

Suddenly a bright light cut them off. It was Frostbite hovering Cujo over them. The bright light was coming from a candle-based spotlight that Frostbite had fixed onto Cujo's head.

"All right break it up break it up!" Frostbite said angrily. "Party's over! I've been lookin' all over this town!"

"Calm down ya blizzard it was all my fault!" Sam glared.

"You're already on my list sister so don't make it worse!" Frostbite snapped.

He then hopped down to get Daniel, leaving Cujo to growl at Sam. He stopped when Sam blew out his candle.

"And as for you ya bum, you're gonna go to the stadium, and you're gonna be put through the workout of your life!" Frostbite dragged Daniel towards Cujo. "Now get on the hound!"

"Okay okay." Daniel chuckled.

"Sorry about that." Sam smiled.

"Eh, he'll get over it." Daniel extended his arm to pluck a flower off a tree.

He then gave it to Sam and kissed her on the cheek. She froze with shock and put a hand to her cheek.

"Move!" Frostbite snapped to Daniel. "Move move move move!"

Daniel walked backwards towards Cujo, still wanting to keep Sam in his sights, and got on. Cujo took off quickly. Daniel still was watching where Sam was despite Frostbite being in the way. This meant that Daniel wasn't seeing where Cujo was going.

"Hey watch it watch it!" Frostbite said irritatedly as he ducked tree branches. "Whoo, watch it! Keep your goo-goo eyes on the-"

He got knocked off.

"That's it." He said dazedly. "Next time I drive."

He fell unconscious.


	12. I Won't Say I'm In Love

Meanwhile, Sam was smelling the flower Daniel gave her...but then snapped out of it.

"What's the matter with me?" She said, disgusted. "You'd think a girl would learn."

If there's a prize for rotten judgement  
I guess I've already won that  
No man is worth the aggravation  
That's ancient history, been there done that

She started walking, until she came cross the statue of the baby cupid. She turned it around and then tossed the flower aside. The flower was caught by a statue version of Dani.

MUSES:  
Who'd'ya think you're kiddin'  
He's the Earth and heaven to you  
Try to keep it hidden  
Honey, we can see right through you  
Girl, ya can't conceal it  
We know how ya feel and  
Who you're thinking of

Sam just thought that these new voices were just her heart arguing with her head, and so didn't look around and see the statues. Dani did try waving the flower over Sam's head but Sam didn't even notice. She just walked away, leaving a disappointed Dani behind.

SAM:  
No chance, no way  
I won't say it, no, no

MUSES:  
You swoon, you sigh  
why deny it, uh-oh

SAM:  
It's too cliché  
I won't say I'm in love

I thought my heart had learned its lesson  
It feels so good when you start out  
My head is screaming get a grip, girl  
Unless you're dying to

This time the Muses now were pillars and were coming to life, though had to stand stiff again as Sam turned around.

MUSES AND SAM:  
Cry your heart out

SAM:  
Oh

MUSES  
You keep on denying  
Who you are and how you're feeling  
Baby, we're not buying  
Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling  
Face it like a grown-up  
When ya gonna own up  
That ya got, got, got it bad

The Muses extended the 'roof' they were holding up upward, leaving Dani dangling.

SAM:  
Whoa  
No chance, now way  
I won't say it, no, no

Sam skipped across some stones in the fountain, but the last one was loose and caused her to trip. She quickly grabbed onto a statue hand...which turned out to be the hand of a statue of Daniel. She automatically snuggled up against the statue.

MUSES:  
Give up, give in  
Check the grin you're in love

Sam caught herself and, frowning, walked away from the statue.

SAM:  
This scene won't play,  
I won't say I'm in love

MUSES:  
You're doin' flips  
Read our lips  
You're in love

SAM:  
You're way off base  
I won't say it  
Get off my case  
I won't say it

MUSES:  
Girl, don't be proud  
It's O.K. you're in love

Now carvings of the Muses lifted a flower onto the edge of the fountain, where Sam was now sitting. Sam rested her hand so that it ended up on the flower. Startled, Sam looked, picked up the flower, and smiled. She felt her heart starting to beat fast and she realized that she couldn't deny it any longer.

SAM:  
Oh  
At least out loud,  
I won't say I'm in love


	13. Change of Heart and Heartbreak

Sam rested on the edge of the fountain and started daydreaming about Daniel. Her daydreams were rudely interrupted however when she heard a strange sound. It was Vlad melting a statue so that he would have something to lay on.

"Hey what's the buzz huh Sam?" Vlad smiled. "What is the weak link in Spirit Boy's chain?"

"Get yourself another girl I'm through." Sam retorted.

"Sorry would you mind running that by me again? I must have a some ectoplasm in my ear or something."

"Then read my lips." Sam said loudly as she started to leave. "Forget it."

"Sam Sam Sam, my sweet deluded little minion." Vlad caught up with her. "Aren't we forgetting one teensy-weensy but ever so crucial little tiny detail? I OWN YOU!"

Unfortunately, now was when Frostbite woke up.

"Oh I got another horn here." Frostbite groaned as he pushed his bump down. "That kid's doin' laps for a month!"

"If I say 'sing', you say 'hey name that tune'." Vlad continued. "If I saw 'I want Spirit Boy's head on a platter' you say-"

"Medium or well done?" Sam said sarcastically.

Also unfortunately, Frostbite missed the sarcasm.

"Oh I knew that dame was trouble." He said to himself. "This is gonna break the kid's heart."

He left.

"I'm sorry, you hear that sound?" Vlad said dryly. "It's the sound of your freedom fluttering out the window forever."

"I don't care I won't help you hurt him." Sam said defiantly.

"I can't believe you're getting so worked up about some guy." Vlad sighed exasperatedly.

"This one's different." Sam retorted. "He's honest, and he's sweet, he would never do anything to hurt me."

"Please." Vlad scoffed. "He's a guy!"

"Besides, O oneness, you can't beat him." Sam gloated. "He has no weaknesses, he's gonna-"

She stopped because Vlad now had a gloating smirk instead of an annoyed look.

"I think he does Sam." He took the flower and burned it. "I truly think he does."

Meanwhile, Daniel was still running and leaping all over the stadium with joy by the time Frostbite got back. Daniel was so in love it was like he didn't need to have ghost powers to fly. Frostbite sadly walked down the stairs, giving Cujo a half-hearted pat as he passed him. Cujo stopped eating his dinner and looked at Frostbite with confusion. He expected Frostbite to still be mad from being knocked off him.

"Hey Frostbite, what happened to you?" Daniel asked.

"Kid, we gotta talk." Frostbite sighed.

Daniel just grabbed Frostbite's arm and spun him around.

"Oh Frostbite I just had the greatest day of my life!" Daniel then spun Frostbite into the ground and leapt onto a bar. "I just can't stop thinking about Sam, she's something else."

"Kid, I'm trying to talk to ya will you come down here and listen?" Frostbite called.

"How can I come down there when I'm feeling so up?" Daniel zoomed into the air.

Cujo watched Daniel, stunned, until he heard a flirting bark. He looked around and saw a pretty dog looking at him seductively. Cujo gulped what food that was in his mouth down and dropped his jaw...and his tongue too for that matter. Cujo followed the dog into a stable, panting excitedly...but then yelped with shock as the dog split herself in half! Oh crud...

Yup, it was Skulker and Walker.

"Gotcha!" Skulker shot a net out of his robot suit at Cujo.

"Ah very nice!" Frostbite said sarcastically as Daniel came down. "What I'm trying to say is-"

"That if it wasn't for you, I never would have met her." Daniel went over and hugged Frostbite. "I owe ya big time big guy." He noogied him.

"Will you just knock it off for a couple seconds?" Frostbite was growing very irritated.

"Rule thirty-eight." Daniel put his fists up and then put Frostbite's fists up. "Come on Frostbite keep them up there huh?" He laughed before dancing around. "Frostbite I got to words for ya: duck!"

Frostbite ducked a friendly punch from Daniel.

"Listen to me, she's-" Frostbite still tried to get a word in edgewise.

"A dream come true?"

"Not exactly."

"More beautiful than Pandora?"

"Aside from that!"

"The most wonderful-"

"She's a fraud! She's been playin' ya for a sap!"

Now it was out.

"Aw come on, stop kidding around." Daniel smirked.

"I'm not kiddin' around!"

"I know you're upset about today but that's not reason to-"

"Kid you're missing the point."

"The point is I love her." Daniel frowned, now the irritated one.

"She don't love you!"

"You're crazy."

"She's nothin' but a two-timing..."

"Stop it."

"...no-good lying scheming-"

"Shut up!" Daniel punched Frostbite.

The punch was so strong that it made Frostbite crash into some weights. Daniel looked at him horrified.

"Frostbite I-oh I'm, I'm sorry." Daniel said with remorse.

"Okay, okay, that's it." Frostbite got up, having enough. "You won't face the truth? Fine."

He dusted himself off and started to leave.

"Frostbite...wait, where are you going?"

"I'm hopping the first barge out of here. I'm going home."

"Fine." Daniel replied, hurt. "Go. I don't need you."

He decided to lift some weights to work off the pain.

"I thought you were going to be the all-time champ." Frostbite said to himself sadly. "Not the all-time chump."

The torches suddenly went out.

"Geez-louise what gave him an ice cream headache huh?" Vlad chuckled. "Hi, name's Vlad Lord of the Dead how you doing?"

He raised a hand but Daniel didn't shake it.

"Not now okay." Daniel turned around, just wanting to be alone.

"Hey hey," Vlad flew over so that he was in front of Daniel again. "I only need a few seconds and I'm a fast talker all right? See I've got a major deal in the works, a real estate venture if you will, and Danny, you little devil you - may I call you Danny? - you seem to be constantly getting in the way of it."

"You've got the wrong guy." Daniel turned around again.

"Hear me out you little-!" Vlad almost lost his temper but caught himself. "Just hear me out okay? So I would be eternally grateful if you would just take a day off from this hero business of yours. I mean monsters, natural disasters, whew, you wait a day okay?"

"You're out of your mind."

"Not so fast, because you see I do have a little leverage you might wanna know about." Vlad snapped his fingers and Sam appeared.

"Sam!" Daniel gasped.

"Don't listen to-" Sam was cut off by ghostly bindings that wrapped themselves around her.

Daniel ran to Sam but she disappeared.

"Let her go!" He demanded as he tackled Vlad - only for Vlad to split in half, causing Daniel to miss.

"Here's the trade off." Vlad smiled. "You give up your powers for twenty-four hours, say the next twenty-four hours, and Sam here is free as a bird and safe from harm. We dance we kiss we schmooze we carry on we go home happy whaddya say come on?"

"People are gonna get hurt aren't they?" Daniel hesitated.

"Nah, I mean it's a possibility." Vlad shrugged. "It happens 'cause, you know, it's war. But what can I tell ya? Anyway what do you owe these people? Isn't Sam here more important than they are?"

"Stop it!" Daniel frowned.

"Isn't she?" Vlad demanded.

Daniel thought for a second.

"You gotta swear she'll be safe from any harm." Daniel said sternly.

"Fine okay, I'll give you that one." Vlad shrugged, just wanting Daniel to agree to the deal. "Sam is safe otherwise you get your strength right back. Yadda yadda fine print boilerplate okay done. Whaddya say we shake on it?"

Daniel hesitated.

"Hey I really don't have time to bat this around I'm kind of on a schedule here I got plans for August okay? I need an answer, like, **now**. Going once. Going twice-"

Daniel looked at Sam, who shook her head, and made his decision.

"All right." Daniel said.

"Yes and we're there!" Vlad punched a fist before he and Daniel shook hands. "Bam!"

Daniel grew weaker as his powers were taken away.

"You may fell just a little queasy, it's kind natural." Vlad smirked, loving this. "Maybe you should just **sit down**!"

He used his telekinesis to lift some weights and pin Daniel to the ground with them.

"Now you know how it feels to be just like everybody else. Isn't it just peachy?" Vlad teased before remembering: "Oh, you'll love this. Sam: a deal's a deal. You're off the hook."

Sam's ghostly bindings disappeared and she gasped for air.

"And by the way Danny is she not a fabulous little actress?" Vlad grinned.

"Stop it." Sam glared, not wanting Daniel to find out this way.

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked.

"I mean, you're little spectrophile here was working for me all the time. Duh."

"You're-you're lying!" Daniel started to feel his heart break.

The two kids who Daniel had saved in the gorge appeared.

"Help!" Walker faked.

"Jeepers mister you're really strong." Skulker teased.

They then turned back into their real forms.

"Couldn't have done it without you sugar." Vlad said to Sam.

"No it's not like that-" Sam broke free and went over to Daniel. "I didn't meant to- I couldn't- I'm so sorry."

Daniel turned away from her, completely heartbroken.

"Our hero's a zero our hero's a zero!" Skulker and Walker taunted.

Daniel just fell to his knees, not caring about whether he was a hero or not anymore. He also felt worse for how he treated Frostbite earlier since he now knew that he was telling the truth. Sam shed tears out of guilt and sympathy.

"Well gotta soar." Vlad started to take off. "There's a whole cosmos up there waiting for me with, hey, my name on it. Skulker, Walker, you finish taunting him once Spiritus is mine. Should take less than twenty-four hours."

"Right." Skulker flew into the air.

"Wait for me." Walker followed Skulker.

"So much for the preliminaries and now on to the main event!" Vlad gloated.

Sam, by this point, had fallen to the ground crying too.


	14. Things Get Worse

The planets aligned and revealed the the vault where the Poltergeists had been trapped. Vlad flew over to it.

"Brothers!" He said. "Poltergeists! Look at you in your squalid prison! Who put you down there?"

"JACK!" The Poltergeists said angrily.

"And now that I set you free, what is the first thing you're going to do?" Vlad asked as he removed the ghostly bars with his powers.

"DESTROY HIM!" The Poltergeists raised their fists.

"Good answer."

"Crush Jack!" The Earthquake Poltergeist said.

"Freeze him!" The Ice Poltergeist said.

"Melt him!" The Lava Poltergeist said.

"Blow him away!" The Tornado Poltergeist said.

"Jack!" The Poltergeists said.

"Uh guys?" Vlad said dryly.

"Huh?" The Poltergeists turned around.

"Spiritus would be that way." Vlad pointed in the opposite direction, not amused.

The Poltergeists hesitated for a second, then continued on in the right direction as if nothing happened.

"Hold it Bright Eye." Vlad said to the Cyclops Poltergeist.

"Huh?" Cyclops turned around.

"I have a special job for you my optic friend." Vlad smiled.

Meanwhile, Tucker was taking a nap when he heard rumbling. Wondering what the heck it could be he woke up and put his glasses back on. He couldn't believe what he saw down below.

"Destroy Jack!" Earthquake said.

"Oh we're in trouble!" He panicked. "Big trouble! I gotta-"

He zipped away to Jack, Maddie, and Jazz, cutting himself off.

"My lord and lady, the Poltergeists have escaped AND ARE PRACTICALLY AT OUR GATES!" Tucker tried to keep calm but failed.

"SOUND THE ALARM!" Jack ordered. "Launch an immediate counterattack! Go go!"

"Gone dude." Tucker said before zipping off.

Tucker flew all over Spiritus sounding the alarm on his horn.

"Maddie, get Jazz as far away from here as you can." Jack ordered.

"But Jack-" Maddie protested.

"We already almost lost our son, I'm not losing you or Jazz." Jack said sternly.

Maddie smiled, kissed him, and flew away with Jazz.

Hearing Tucker's alarm, Technus worked hard at making more ghostly bolts for Jack as well as a few weapons for the other ghost-gods and ghost-goddesses. Fright Knight put on his helmet and grabbed his weapons. He and the others flew down for the attack. Only Technus stayed behind but that was to make sure that Jack had plenty of ghostly bolts.

"Charge!" Fright Knight said.

"On to battle!" Vortex agreed.

Unfortunately, Tornado sucked up all the ghost-gods and ghost-goddesses.

"You windbag!" Fright Knight said angrily.

"Boom badda-boom boom boom!" Vlad gloated.

Meanwhile, Cyclops was in Thebes looking for Daniel.

"Daniel!" He bellowed. "Where are you?"

"What can we do?" Star asked fearfully as she and her friends hid in their fountain.

"Where's Daniel?" Dash asked.

"Yeah!" Valerie agreed. "Daniel will save us!"

Cyclops destroyed Daniel's main statue. Not a good sign.

"Daniel! Come out!" Cyclops ordered. "Face me!"

Daniel saw Cyclops, not that he was easy to miss, and uncaringly went towards him.

"What are you doing? Without your strength you'll be killed!" Sam protested.

"There are worse things." Daniel retorted coldly. "And what do you care?"

"I do care!" Sam argued. "But Vlad...he owns me, I had no choice. Please, I do love you."

"No more of your lies Sam, you were right." Daniel glared. "People are petty and dishonest."

He continued towards Cyclops.

"Wait stop!" Sam protested.

No luck.

"Hey look it's Daniel!" Dash saw Daniel.

"Thank the ghost-gods." Paulina said we relief. "We're saved!"

"So." Cyclops said, having overheard them. "You mighty Daniel."

He then laughed and knocked Daniel into one of his ads. Everyone, especially Sam, winced.

Then suddenly, Sam heard whining and whimpering. She knew of only one creature who made those sounds, so she followed them and sure enough there was Cujo trapped in a net. She found a dagger and grabbed it, causing Cujo to panic.

"Easy hound dog!" Sam said. "Whoa stop twitching, listen! Daniel's in trouble!"

That made Cujo stop. Sam set him free.

"We've gotta find Frostbite he's the only one who can talk some sense into him." Sam got onto Cujo's back.

Cujo took off in search of Frostbite. Sam screaming almost all the way.

The Poltergeists kept nearing Spiritus.

"Get back, blast you!" Jack ordered, tossing another ghostly bolt.

Too late, they finally broke through the gates.

"Oo chihuahua." Vlad flinched, loving this.

"Jack!" Earthquake said.

Fortunately for Sam, Cujo found him nearing a barge that was bound for his island.

"Come on hurry up!" One guy on the barge said. "We're shovin' off here!"

"Frostbite!" Sam said. "Frostbite Daniel needs your help!"

"What does he needs me for when he's got friends like you?" Frostbite retorted.

"He won't listen to me." Sam admitted.

"Good! He's finally learned something." Frostbite said sarcastically.

"Look I know what I did was wrong but this isn't about me it's about him!" Sam argued. "If you don't help him now Frostbite he'll die!"

Frostbite froze, shocked.

Back on Spiritus:

"I need more ghost-bolts!" Jack ordered.

"Uh, Technus has been captured my lord everyone's been captured." Tucker saluted regretfully only to end up in a net. "I've been captured! Hey watch the cap!"

Skulker and Walker ignored Tucker and flew him away.

Lava then covered jack as Ice froze the lava so that Jack would be trapped inside.

"Jackie I'm home!" Vlad jeered.

"Vlad!" Jack was shocked then angry. "You're behind this!"

"You are correct sir!" Vlad boasted.


	15. Renewed Strength

Meanwhile, Cyclops was playing with Daniel like a hacky-sack until he finally kneed him into a wagon.

"Daniel!" Frostbite called as he and Sam flew in on Cujo.

"Frostbite?" Daniel said weakly.

"Come on kid come on fight back!" Frostbite rushed over to him. "Come on you can take this bum, this guy's a pushover look at him."

"You were right all along Frostbite, dreams are for rookies." Daniel glared at Sam, who looked away ashamed.

"No no no kid, giving up is for rookies." Frostbite shook his head. "I came up 'cause I'm not quittin' on ya. Now am I ready to go to the distance, are you?"

Daniel didn't have time to answer, Cyclops had picked him up.

"Me bite off head!" Cyclops laughed.

Not wanting that to happen, Daniel grabbed a nearby burning beam and tossed it at Cyclops's eye.

"Whoa baby!" Frostbite cheered proudly.

Daniel then grabbed some rope and tied it around Cyclops's ankles so that he'd trip. Cyclops fell down off a cliff to his death. Well he's a Poltergeist so since you can't count him as a ghost then death is possible for him I mean...never mind.

Anyway, the rumble that was caused by Cyclops's fall caused a weak pillar to fall towards Daniel, who didn't notice.

"Daniel!" Sam cried, running towards him. "Look out!"

She pushed him out of the way, taking the blow instead. Daniel, once he stopped tumbling, looked back and saw what had happened.

"Sam..." He realized that she really did care about him. "NOOO!"

He ran towards her and tried to lift up the pillar...and succeeded.

"What happening?" He asked.

"Vlad's deal is broken." Sam explained, wincing from the pain. "He promised I wouldn't get hurt."

"Sam...why...?" Daniel was confused. "You didn't..."

"Like I said, I do love you. And people always do crazy things when they're in love." Sam tried to make a joke out of her situation.

"Oh Sam..." Danny felt his heart heal and break at the same time; he started to stammer.

"Are you always this inarticulate?" Sam joked.

Danny both laughed and sobbed.

"You haven't got much time." Sam then said seriously. "You can still stop Vlad."

"I'll watch over her kid." Frostbite said sympathetically.

"You're gonna be all right." Daniel said to Sam. "I promise."

He then angrily got onto Cujo, who growled as he took off for Spiritus.

"Let's go Cujo!" Daniel ordered.

As they left Sam weakly told Frostbite why she had been working for Vlad, just in case she didn't live long enough to tell Daniel.

Now, by this point all the ghost-gods and ghost-goddesses were in chains.

"Come on hup two three four." Skulker ordered. "Come on everybody. I can't hear you!"

Tucker winced from the volume. He also wished that Walker would give him back his cap.

"I swear to you Vlad, when I get out of this-" Jack was cut off by being completely trapped.

"I'm the one giving the orders now Bolt Breath." Vlad made himself a throne and sat down with a martini. "And I think I'm gonna like it here."

"Don't get too comfortable Vlad!"

Vlad did a spit take. Yup, Daniel was here.

"Daniel!" Vortex said happily.

"This oughta even the odds!" Daniel used his sword to cut through the chains bounding the ghost-gods and ghost-goddesses.

"Yeah Daniel!" Tucker kicked Skulker in the face and snatched his cap from Walker before punching him repeatedly. "Thank you man!"

"Get them!" Vlad ordered the Poltergeists.

Lava tried to burn Daniel, but Cujo flew so that Vlad was hit with lava instead.

"No get him! Not me!" Vlad said irritatedly. "Him!"

Ice now took his turn.

"Follow the fingers! Him!" Vlad continued, only to be frozen. "The yutz with the mutt!"

Daniel now flew over to where Jack had been buried and freed him. Vlad was so shocked and furious that he blasted himself out of his icy prison.

"Thank you my boy." Jack smiled to Daniel proudly.

Cujo, meanwhile, charged Skulker and Walker.

"Nice doggie." Skulker said nervously.

Too late, Cujo attacked and tore them up. Skulker was even torn out of his suit.

Technus, having made more ghost-bolts, tossed some to Jack.

"Now watch your old man work!" Jack grinned.

"Uh-oh." Earthquake said.

Sure enough, Jack fired the ghost-bolts and scared most of the Poltergeists away. Ironically enough.

"Fellas, get your ghostly rears in gear, and kick some Spiritian butts!" Vlad ordered, impatient.

Cujo, done with Skulker and Walker, flew over and drooled on him.

"Please tell me that's not dog slobber." Vlad muttered dryly.

Cujo laughed.

Daniel noticed that Tornado was still around, so he grabbed the bottom and made Tornado pick up his fellow Poltergeists. He then spun Tornado around until finally he hurled them all deep into outer space.

Jack and Daniel cheered and high-fived.


	16. Home Is In the Heart

"Thanks a ton Spirt Boy!" Vlad called back sarcastically as he flew away. "But at least I've got one swell consolation prize..."

Daniel, furious, hopped onto Cujo and prepared to attack Vlad...

"...A friend of yours who's dying to see me." Vlad finished.

Cujo stopped. Daniel's heart twisted.

"Sam." He gasped.

Cujo flew faster than ever before, trying desperately to get Daniel to Sam before she died. It was too late. As Cujo landed...

"Sam?" Daniel said as he dismounted.

Frostbite turned around and shook his head sadly.

"Sam." Daniel went over to her and hugged her. "No."

He cried on her.

"Oh I'm sorry kid." Frostbite patted his back sympathetically. "There's just some things you can't change."

Daniel then remembered something and looked up with anger and determination.

"Yes I can." He said.

Now Vlad, as I'm sure you've all guessed, was trashing his domain with a tantrum.

"We were so CLOSE!" Vlad screamed. "So close! We tripped at the finish line, why? Because our little nut Sam has to go all noble!"

Daniel suddenly burst in riding Cerberus.

"Where's Sam?" Daniel demanded.

"Oh look who's here." Vlad wasn't worried, he expected Daniel to show up. "Spirit Boy, you are too much."

"Let her go." Daniel grabbed the front of Vlad's robes.

"Get a grip...or more like remove it." Vlad forced Daniel's fists off. "Come here come here, let me show you around."

Vlad led Daniel to the beginning of the river where the souls were kept.

"Well well, it's a small underworld after all huh?" Vlad smirked.

Daniel saw a familiar face.

"Sam!" He reached in for her but quickly pulled his hands back out when he saw them wrinkle.

"Ah-ah-ah, no no, mustn't touch." Vlad grinned. "You see Sam's running with a new crowd these days and a not a very lively one at that."

Daniel got an idea.

"You like making deals, take me in Sam's place." He said.

"Hm, the son of my hated rival floating forever in a river of death." Vlad had to admit he liked the sound of that.

"Going once!" Daniel raised a finger.

"Is there a downside to this?" Vlad wondered.

"Going twice!" Daniel raised a second finger.

"Okay okay!" Vlad gave in. "You get her out, she goes. You stay."

Daniel dove in and started swimming to Sam.

"Oh, you know what slipped my mind?" Vlad grinned. "You'll be dead before you can get to her. That's not a problem is it?"

Daniel continued swimming towards Sam even though he felt himself growing older and weaker.

The Fates were preparing to cut his string...but suddenly they couldn't.

"What's the matter with these scissors?" Kitty asked.

"The thread won't cut!" Wulf realized.

Daniel started to climb out of the river, now sporting a weird white glow.

"This is-this is impossible!" Vlad almost stammered. "You you you can't be alive you'd have to be a...a..."

"A ghost-god?" Skulker and Walker offered.

Sure enough, Daniel was a ghost-god. Vlad completely lost it.

"Daniel stop you can't do this to me you can't-" Vlad begged desperately.

Daniel just punched Vlad's face in without even looking. Vlad paused a moment to pop his face back out.

"Okay well I deserved that." He laughed. "Danny can we talk? Your dad he's a fun guy right? So maybe you could put in a word with him and he'd kinda blow this whole thing off you know? Sam? Sam talk to him, a little-"

Daniel punched Vlad so hard that he fell into the river. All the mortal souls attacked Vlad.

"Ew get away from me! Don't touch me!" Vlad ordered. "Get your slimy mortal souls off me!"

"He's not gonna be happy when he gets outta there." Walker gulped.

"You mean 'if' he gets outta there." Skulker pointed out.

"If." Walker agreed. "If is good."

"I don't feel so good." Vlad groaned. "I feel a little...flushed!"

He sank all the way to the bottom.

A bit later on, Daniel returned with Sam's soul. He put it back in her body, bringing it back to life. Frostbite and Cujo smiled.

"Spirit Boy what-?" Sam was surprised. "Why did you-?"

"People always do crazy things." Daniel shrugged, smiling. "When they're in love.'

Sam beamed, realizing that Daniel had forgiven her and still loved her back. They were about to kiss, when a cloud picked them up and carried them towards Spiritus. Cujo and Frostbite were not far behind.

On Spiritus, leading to the gate, were all the ghost-gods and ghost-goddesses cheering.

"Three cheers for the mighty Daniel!" Vortex said.

"Oh yeah, flowers for everybody!" Tucker agreed, tossing flowers all over the place.

Daniel smiled. Not from the cheers, but from seeing Jack and Maddie. He smiled to Sam and then went over to them.

"Daniel, we're so proud of you." Maddie hugged him.

"Mother." He hugged his mother back.

"Fine work my boy!" Jack one-armed hugged Daniel. "You've done it!"

"Danny!" Jazz hugged him. "Hey bro!"

They had met a few times before back when Daniel was training and doing his heroics, so Daniel just hugged her back.

"You're a true hero." Jazz said proudly.

"You were willing to give your life to rescue this young woman." Maddie smiled.

"For a true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength." Jack added. "But by the strength of his heart. Now at last, my son, you can come home."

All the ghost-gods and ghost-goddesses surrounded him and congratulated him.

Sam was proud of Daniel, but was going to miss him.

"Congratulation Spirit Boy, you'll make one heck of a god." She said as she started to leave.

Daniel saw her leave.

"Father, this is the moment I've always dreamed of." He said. "But..." He went over to Sam and took her hands, much to her surprise. "A life without Sam, even an immortal life, would be empty. I wish to stay on Earth with her. I finally know where I belong."

Jack and Maddie looked at each other for a moment, and then smiled and nodded. Daniel lost his ghost-god glow as he and Sam kissed. The ghost-gods and ghost-goddesses cheered even louder, but Jazz went over to Daniel.

"Bro." She said sadly. "I will miss you."

"Hey come on, you can visit me anytime." Daniel scoffed.

"You can bet on it." Jazz grabbed him and noogied him.

"Hey get off!" He laughed.

"Hit it ladies!" Tucker said.

The Muses appeared out of nowhere.

DORA:  
Oh gonna shout it from the mountaintops

ALL:  
A star is born

DANI:  
It's the time for pulling out the stops

ALL:  
A star is born

EMBER:  
Honey hit us with a hallelu  
That kid came shining through  
Girl sing the song  
Come blow your horn

ALL:  
A star is born

PENELOPE:  
He's a hero who can please the crowd

ALL:  
A star is born

Daniel, Sam, Frostbite, and Cujo flew back down to Earth. Daniel greeted his mortal parents.

DESIRE:  
Come on everybody shout out loud

ALL:  
A star is born

Sam then pointed up. Jack was forming an image in the stars. Don't need to guess what the image was of either.

Frostbite, seeing this, dropped his jaw speechless.

"That's Frostbite's boy!" Dash pointed.

Frostbite felt like crying, but was interrupted with a group hug from Daniel and Sam.

Just remember in the darkest hour  
Within your heart's the power  
For makin' you a hero too  
So don't lose hope when your forlorn  
Just keep your eyes  
Upon the skies

Every night a star is  
Right in sight a star is  
Burning bright a star is born  
A star is born!


End file.
